Do something Friday

The Tour De France starts tomorrow and runs through 25 July.  --That is 22 DAYS!  Holy smokes!!  So what separates those cyclists from the rest of us? (Besides some crazy beautiful calf muscles)

I think what allows the cyclists (or any serious athlete) the power to complete something that is physically grueling is the clarity they have about what they are doing and why.

If you think about it, I am pretty sure reaching a goal weight shouldn't be as hard as competition riding for 22 days through the mountains.  Cyclists have an end point -- that helps -- they only have to go as far as the finish line.

Are you clear about how far you want to take your weight loss?  On the first meeting with a client, a great many of them tell me at least 3 goal weights they want to achieve while they are working with me.  That it not clear!  What they are really telling me is they want to lose weight but have no idea how much they should be losing.  No finish line.

Another thing cyclist have going for them is their team.  Both in training and in competition, if you have people you like and trust who are all working together for the same common goal, you are more likely to be successful.  So...do you have a team?  Do you know who they are and interact with them on a daily basis -- about weight loss, about family stuff, about life in general -- all of those things so you are building a strong relationship with your team?

And lastly, in my quick list, the cyclists have a coach (or more likely coaches).  You would think by now, Lance Armstrong would know everything there is to know about cycling.  But he still needs a set of eyes to pick up the nuances of his training and competition performance.  Life happens and he needs to have help to get himself back on track.

There is a system for cycling -- a training protocol and performance history.  A successful team's methods will be dissected and applied to other teams but there is no one perfect training protocol.  Successful athletes  actively cultivate a knowledge about what works for them -- and when it works and when it doesn't. 

The more often they seek to clarify what they are doing and how that relates to their success, the more success they have.

So how about you?  You say your not Lance Armstrong -- but can you learn from an athlete and use some of the tools they use to create your success?

Seek clarity.